Why Choose Private Healthcare With Dr Penman?

There are many benefits to private fetal and gynaecological healthcare.

In this article, you will find a number of reasons to choose the private route with Dr Penman at Fetal Medicine UK, as well as helpful information on each of the services offered, and how to book an appointment.

Why Choose Private Healthcare With Fetal Medicine UK?

You’re Guaranteed To See A Specialist

On the NHS, it is often necessary to wait whilst you are being referred to a specialist, which can mean prolonging a diagnosis, and certainly means prolonging worry and concern over your health. However, going privately for your baby scans or gynaecology consultations means you are guaranteed to be seen by a specialist.

When you book an appointment with Fetal Medicine UK, you are guaranteed a consultation with Dr David Penman, Consultant Gynaecologist and Fetal Medicine Specialist. He is highly specialized and has over 20 years of baby scanning experience. For more information on Dr Penman, please click here.

Immediate Consultation Results

Oftentimes on the NHS your baby scans will be conducted by a sonographer who is not trained to make diagnoses. They will have to refer you to a specialist, which means more waiting and worrying.

Because Dr Penman is a specialist in gynaecology and fetal medicine, he can make diagnoses with you at your appointment. Where particular testing or further investigation is needed, he can schedule this at the appointment with him, and give you a full explanation of any findings from these further investigations.

Faster Further Investigations

If you have to have further tests or investigations done after your initial consultation with Dr Penman, you can schedule these at your appointment with him. Tests Dr Penman may recommend include: prenatal tests (such as for Down’s Syndrome) and smear tests. The results of most tests Dr Penman schedules will be available to you within 10 days (infertility tests can take longer, particularly if both partners are being tested).

On the NHS, you often will not hear results for at least 2 weeks. For example, smear tests on the NHS can take 4-6 weeks, if not longer. With Dr Penman at Fetal Medicine UK, you will have the results of your smear test within 10 days. For more information on cervical smear tests with Fetal Medicine UK, please click here.

3D and 4D Baby Scanning

On the NHS, you will see your baby in black-and-white 2D only. Whilst useful for diagnostic purposes, this doesn’t allow for anywhere near the detail of 3D scanning.

Dr Penman offers 3D and 4D baby scanning after 10 weeks of pregnancy, which allows you to see your baby in more detail and get to know him or her better before they arrive. For more information on 3D and 4D scanning with Dr Penman, please click here.

Longer Appointments

Appointments on the NHS last an average of 12 minutes [Source: BBC News]. With Fetal Medicine UK, you are guaranteed a consultation with Dr Penman lasting at least 30 minutes. This means 30 minutes dedicated to conducting a full examination, as well as allowing time for Dr Penman to explain his findings, and answer any questions you may have.

No waiting times

There can be a delay on the NHS whilst you are referred to a specialist, or even to make an initial appointment to see your GP. With Fetal Medicine UK, you can often be seen the same day or next day. Emergency appointments are always available the same day. For more information on booking an appointment, please click here.

Saturday Appointments

Dr Penman holds clinics until 6pm most weekdays, and also holds clinics on a Saturday, so you don’t need to wait until after the weekend to be seen.

Free parking

Parking at both hospitals where Dr Penman holds clinics (KIMS and the Spire Alexandra) is free, which means you can focus on your healthcare and getting questions answered instead of worrying about feeding the car parking meter.